Posted on 07/17/2024 10:19:21 AM PDT by Angelino97
I default back to what Microsoft comes with and haven't had issues. It is commonsense on the rest, don't open the wrong emails, don't go to the wrong sites, don't download suspicious content.
I've used Norton several times, including past year, and have removed it after a while. I've tries numerous others. I don't have one running on my computer and unsure how much extra protection for viruses, malware, and other malicious stuff I need. No urgency because I don't have a problem.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Plus/Complete works on Windows 7.
I use this, paired with TorGuard’s VPN.
Like most antirus software, it can be a resource hog on old computers.
Yeah, it matters. Windows 7 no longer gets security (or any other) updates from Microsoft. Using Win7 to surf the internet, especially anything important (e.g. banking) or dodgy (pr0n, gambling) is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
My personal assessment is that Norton, McAfee, and others of that ilk aren't worth the powder to blow them to bits. They hog resources like mad, and overall they don't do any better than Windows Defender (built-in).
I have a Win7 virtual machine (VM) that I use to run some old legacy programs, but I never surf the internet with it. Never. I have an up-to-date Win10 VM for that. And mostly I use MacOS or Linux anyway.
The built-in Windows Defender is probably as good as you can get for Win7. I do recommend adding MalwareBytes (free version) for occasional scanning. It's real good and doesn't hog resources. You can get the paid version (not too expensive) and it will do checking in the background, also pretty light on resources.
Good luck, practice safe surfing, always wear a write-protect tab. :-)
Is it easy to move files from a Windows system to Mac? Would a Mac system recognize my emails (currently on Thunderbird) or my internet bookmarks (on Firefox)?
When I connect my iPhone to my Windows laptop, I have limited success drag & dropping files. I can move image files from the iPhone's folder to the Win laptop, but not from the laptop to the iPhone.
And I can't move any sound files I record on the iPhone, because they don't show up on Win Explorer. Only the image files I take with my iPhone camera.
Is it because Linux is secure? Or because it has such a small user base that nobody bothers to make viruses for it?
I have thought about trying Mint Cinnamon, because it's said to resemble Windows, hence a low learning curve.
30+ year IT Security Professional here and I agree 100% with what dayglored said.
Norton Anti- Virus IS a VIRUS. You have to download uninstall software to get rid of it. And it still keeps parts and pieces on your hard drive. Anyone using it is a moron.
Linux and Apple are no more secure than Windows, just less focus on people maliciously hacking it, and there is ample evidence of some occurring anyone. No system is immune and thinking you are because you’ve picked one of those won’t help if you click the wrong link, download the wrong file, or don’t keep up with latest updates of software and operating systems.
W7 is a good but unsupported OS. Meaning no security patches or updates. Using an orphaned Mac OS or Linux is no big but Windows not so much
Thanks, much appreciated.
Another 30+ year IT/Sec Pro here. Been designing and caring for computer systems since mid-70's, cut my Sec teeth in the early days of NetBSD, all uphill from there. It's been a great ride, still riding...
AMEN! Today the greatest threat is from "social-engineering" -- clickable links in email, chat threads, text messages, and of course web pages. Safe surfing is not simply about which Operating System you choose, it's more about having 360-degree Situational Awareness and not trusting anything you don't recognize.
It's about like walking through the bad part of town at 2AM. Can it be done? Yeah, but you need to be super vigilant.
Do they still sell that? My memories of Norton was that it was a monster resource eater. It also dropped tons of .DLL files al over your OS each of which were activated ever time you booted up.
Avira
I hear ya, and I understand it no longer gets regular updates, though a few are sent our way every now and then. But it’s still the best O/S out there and if taken care of it will last for years. But I understand what you’re saying.
“I have thought about trying Mint Cinnamon, because it’s said to resemble Windows, hence a low learning curve.”
After trying out about a dozen that is the distro I settled on using myself and absolutely recommend for a first time user. Everything operates and feels like Win 7. All the right click menu options, file manager, Etc. are the same with some extra features to do more. The only thing I did do was use the default cinnamon apps to change the them/skin, icons, and highlight colors to what I like. I hate green... lol
But as for viruses, There are several factors at play. One is indeed that fewer viruses are written for it. But by design this really is not a big factor, even if they did target it more the design would still prevent it. Here are a few reasons why...
1, Linux comes with the firewall turned off. You can turn it on if you like, but it doesn’t really need it. Linux comes with no insecure open ports so there is really no need unless it would be for one of your apps that require an open port. And the system files cannot be rooted without you personally and physically doing it yourself with a passkey. They are by default not connected to your user files or apps. Nothing in your stuff can affect the OS unless you root it and let it.
2. Linux is open source so it is peer reviewed in real time extensively. Any time a threat surfaces anywhere in the world Linux peers jump on it with a fever and provide a patch within hours.
3. Over the years all the viruses designed to attack Linux except for only a couple required hands on physical access to your machine to implant it. So you are very very safe if no one who might do that has physical access to your machine and the passkey to root the system files.
4. Because it is open source, you can dig into and customize every nook and cranny personally and debug. There is nothing proprietary hidden in the system or in the updates like MS. And again it is constantly peer reviewed for bugs and discrepancies so the sources are safe.
5. Mint comes with a one click install/uninstall software manager app that accesses a common software repository for both Ubuntu and Mint and others that is stocked with just about every app you might ever need. And if it is in the repository it is safe to download and install. The open source app software is all peer reviewed also. Sometimes you might run across an app that doesn’t work, but that is because it was not maintained or abandoned by the independent app developer, it is still safe and won’t hurt anything, just broken. But I have ran across only a few of these, they are not common.
6. It is built simple. It is not a mess of conflicts and patches for conflicts like MS. So by nature it is safer and more straight forward and simpler. And because of this it is extremely light and fast with no bloatware like MS has. 2 gigs compared to 18 gigs for windows 10.
Now let me share something important. I would install dual boot with the Mint over Windows. I have done this many many times without fail using the Mint installer option “install alongside”. It will make Linux your primary OS that it automatically boots into. But at power up it will also give you a boot list option to boot into either as you like. And if you would rather have it boot into windows as your primary and Linux as secondary there is a simple one string code edit in one of the system files that is actually easy to do with the included editor. But with dual boot, when you are booted in Linux it will let you access and drag and drop all your MS files from the MS volume drive to your like kind Linux folders. Documents, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, Music Etc. The folder and file options are all the same as Win 7.
Now as a side note because you have a still working win 7. I liked win 7 and would hate to see you lose that by accident because I know how hard it is to get win 7 back. Like I say the Mint installer has been absolutely flawless for me on over 50 installs for myself and others it still might be an option to load Linux on an older not quite as important to you machine first as a test machine. But once you make the required Linux “live/install” USB stick you can use the Linux from the stick without affecting anything internally on the MS drive. It will let you explore and play with the boxed apps it comes with and get on the net from the stick alone.
Unless you are all in to wipe Win 7 and install just Linux as your new OS. If you do this then of course you will want to pull all your files off to external media before installing it. Because it will wipe it all away as part of the “full” Linux install rat5her than installing as dual boot. When booted in Linux after it is installed it will indeed let you transfer those off the stick into the Linux folders. Even MS word files and Adobe Acrobat files.
I absolutely agree. There is no OS or app that can replace a users self responsibility. :)
And as an added bonus, Cinnamon aloso has it’s own trusted repository of window dressing themes, applets, Desklets, and extensions that are accessible directly from in the Mint system settings manager included.
This is what they have. But you do not have to get them from this site, the internal Mint system settings app has a back door with one click downloads.
https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/
I like this theme and use it with Teal Folders.
https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/themes/view/Metallic_Cyan
Win 98 was the worst. It was constantly dying the Blue Screen of Death. Later, it became so badly infected it was barely usable. I manged to download an antivirus with Spider or Web in its name. It cleaned it up.
After that Win 98 worked, but still died on a regular basis. I used the opportunity to quickly buy an XP system.
I've had this Win 7 laptop for over eight years, and it's never died on me. Never crashed.
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